Campbell Award

[Pemberley]

Oh, so you didn't go!

No, EUOL didn't go to Worldcon this year.  He's nice enough not to go  to Japan without me, and my being seven months pregnant made the trip inadvisable.

I find it interesting that Naomi Novik's publisher did a rather unheard of thing and released all three books in paperback during the same year.  Judging by the number of Cambell votes she got, it apparently it worked!  However, maybe it was the fact that she had cover quotes from Stephen King, Ann McCaffrey, and Terry Brooks ... Okay, it probably helped that her books are quite good.  I thought the second one was the weakest of the three, but I enjoyed them and intend to read #4.  (Now, lest some of you accuse me of disloyalty, know that EUOL actually bought the books for me and told me to read them! Whew!  Wouldn't want to get included in this planned ninja monkeys attack!)

[EUOL]

Spanked...again.  Ah, well.  I join Bujold, George R.R. Martin, and the other ranks of Campbell losers.  I got more votes this year, which is nice.  (Last year I think I got 17; this year I got 25.)  However, I think the margin was even larger this year than it was last year.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

The number of voters and con attendees was significantly lower though, so there is that!

You got nominated both years you were eligible, and that's great. I think that once a couple Alcatrazes and Scribbler come out, your versatility and range will get you a lot of attention.

[Bookstore Guy]

Some things to consider on Novik:

The release of her first 3 books at once is a strategy employed to prey upon the minds of readers.  Readers are more likely to buy books from a new author if they see serveral books out.  If the books are good, and accepted in the genre, this strategy works very well.

The cover quotes ARE what sold the first book.  It's Stephen Frickin King.  Novik's husband ressurrected an old genre of crime/noir short fiction.  He then sent the stuff to King (who is a fan of that genre) to ask for cover quotes.  King rejected the request...because he wanted to write a novel for Novik's husband instead.  You all know it as The Colorado Kid.  After Novik had finished her first novel, she sent it to King asking if he would cover quote for her Dragon series, and he said of course.  She also knows Todd McCaffery, therefore knowing Anne McCaffery. 

Since she informed me when i met her last summer that her main influences were Patrick O'Brien and McCaffery, her story makes complete sense.  In my opinion, it is a brilliant idea the she executed well.

To top this off, she was one of the most humble authors I met last summer.  She was just thrilled that so many people liked her novels. 

All in all, the quality of the stories, the cover quotes, and the marketing campaign won her this award.  I believe I will email her my congrats.

Brandon doesnt need to win an award to be successful - of course, he already is a success.  The more novels he churns out at a James Patterson pace, the increased market penetration he will get.  It's only a matter of time.  Simply being nomintaed twice is an award in itself.

[Errent]

I totally agree, Steve-not-bookstore-guy-any-longer. Well said.

[EUOL]

Yes, a fine reply.

I might feel bitter if everything he'd said had happened, and then the books WEREN'T good.  However, they really are quite fun books that are excellently executed and add something very nice to the genre as a whole.  She's worthy of the award in all respects, and I have no room to gripe. 

The honest truth is that I'm not well known enough among the con crowd to win this award.  Even without Novik, I would have lost to someone else.  I out-sell the other people on the awards list by a nice margin, but my readership is a different segment than the con crowd right now.  That understood--it's a cliché, but I feel it's true--I feel good to even be nominated.